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Africa’s DeepTech and HealthTech sectors are on the rise, but many promising startups struggle to access the right mentorship, investment, and strategic guidance to scale globally.

To bridge this gap, the BRAIN Regional Bootcamp brought together 10 highpotential African startups for an intensive five-day programme in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, South Africa.

This bootcamp, part of the BRAIN Accelerator 2025, is a year-long initiative powered by Africa Grow, Digital Africa, and Sanofi’s Global Health Unit for sustainable impact. It is run in partnership with MIT-Africa, MIT Executive MBA, AfricInvest, InstaDeep, and Bpifrance. The regional bootcamp was primarily hosted by Stellenbosch University, LaunchLab, CERI, and Fluorobiotech, with sponsorship from Octoco, Technopark, and Workshack, and local support from Wesgro and Innovation City.

Over the course of five days, the bootcamp provided expert-led training and hands-on mentorship, helping startups navigate challenges unique to the African market.

Sessions covered AI-driven business growth, commercialization strategies, product scaling, pricing, and investor pitching, equipping founders with the tools needed to secure funding and drive impact. Houda Ghozzi, CEO of Open Startup (OST), emphasized the importance of visibility for African startups during the opening event at Innovation City, stating: “Nothing happens if you don’t have exposure. Your efforts can remain in vain—that’s why BRAIN ensures that African startups and entrepreneurs are visible.”

In addition to workshops, side events such as Scaling HealthTech Innovation in Africa convened investors, researchers, and industry leaders to discuss Africa’s growing role in the global biotech and digital health landscape. Reflecting on the initiative, Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, Director of CERI, noted: “Supporting African startups in AI and HealthTech is essential for driving home- grown solutions to global challenges. This programme is a game-changer in equipping them for success.”

Guided by renowned MIT faculty and leading global experts, the bootcamp covered essential topics including: AI integration in business, commercialization strategies, product scaling, pricing and marketing, and investor pitching. Participants also received one-on-one mentorship from MIT Executive MBA experts and Stellenbosch University MBA experts, along with tailored guidance from global and local industry mentors.

In addition to the core bootcamp activities, two key side events took place:

Deep Dive into South Africa’s Thriving DeepTech Ecosystem:

Date: February 25, 2025 | Location: Cape Town Innovation City. Hosted by Innovation City, this event featured a panel discussion with top industry leaders showcasing South Africa’s rapidly evolving DeepTech landscape followed by a networking session designed to connect local and international stakeholders. Dr. Richard Gordon from CERI & the South African Medical Research Council was one of the keynote speakers in this event.

Scaling HealthTech Innovation in Africa:

Date: February 27, 2025 | Location: Stellenbosch Technopark.

Hosted by Octoco, Stellenbosch Technopark, & Workshack, this event convened leading HealthTech experts and investors to discuss scalability challenges and opportunities within Africa’s HealthTech sector followed by a networking session to foster valuable connections within the HealthTech ecosystem. Prof Tulio de Oliveira, CERI Director was the keynote speaker and the panel discussion was lead by Dr. Richard Gordon from CERI & SAMRC.

Click on the image above to read the gem, genomics, epidemics & microbes Vol 8 Issue 2, Feb 2025, or scan the qrcode.